Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Facebook Kicked Out of Cambridge Analytica Office While Trying to 'Secure Evidence'

Facebook Kicked Out of Cambridge Analytica Office While Trying to 'Secure Evidence'
Horacio Villalobos - Corbis/Getty Images

Nice try, Facebook.

Facebook tried to perform its own investigation into the now infamous data analytics company Cambridge Analytica, but was prevented from doing so by UK authorities.


Amidst the growing scandal surrounding the misuse of improperly obtained personal data from 50 million Facebook users, the social media giant sent a team of internal investigators to gather evidence inside the office of the UK-based analytics firm. Unfortunately for Facebook, however, the Information Commissioner's office showed up and immediately shut down the operation. The ICO, which acts as the United Kingdom's data regulator, said that Facebook's actions could "potentially compromise a regulatory investigation." The ICO is currently in the process of obtaining a warrant for a proper investigation.

Carole Cadwalladr, an investigative journalist with The Guardian, live-tweeted the incident as the drama unfolded.

Following its failed attempt at taking the law into its own hands, Facebook released a statement confirming that it did, in fact, hire a team of "independent forensic auditors" to scour through Cambridge Analytica's property. "At the request of the UK Information Commissioner's Office, which has announced it is pursuing a warrant to conduct its own on-site investigation, the Stroz Friedberg auditors stood down," Facebook said. In its statement, Facebook also claimed that Cambridge Analytica had previously agreed to give "complete access to their servers and systems."

Naturally, Facebook's plot to perform a private investigation raises major conflict of interest issues, not the least of which is what Facebook would do with coming across potentially damning evidence.

Last week, the New York Times and the Guardian-owned Observer reported that Cambridge Analytica had unlawfully exploited the personal data of 50 million Facebook users as part of their mission to get Donald Trump elected in 2016. Former Cambridge Analytica employee-turned-whistleblower Christopher Wylie detailed his role in the plan in a bombshell report in The Guardian on Saturday.

"He may have played a pivotal role in the momentous political upheavals of 2016. At the very least, he played a consequential role. At 24, he came up with an idea that led to the foundation of a company called Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm that went on to claim a major role in the Leave campaign for Britain's EU membership referendum, and later became a key figure in digital operations during Donald Trump's election campaign."

In addition to mounting bad publicity, Facebook is feeling a significant financial sting as the Cambridge Analytica scandal deepens. Its IPO shares have dropped seven percent, causing the companies stock valuation to plunge nearly $40 billion since the week began.

On Tuesday, Cambridge Analytica CEO Christopher Nix was terminated from his post as a result of the allegations. The firm claims it plans to launch an independent investigation and cooperate with authorities, but secretly recorded meetings between company executives and reporters disguised as potential clients show that Cambridge Analytica not only knew what they were doing, they used their ability to influence politicians and exploit personal data as their main sales pitch.

More from People/donald-trump

Teachers Share The Questions Students Asked In Class That Broke Their Hearts

Being a teacher is a calling.

It is not for the meek or weak of heart.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Emily Compagno
Fox News

Fox Host Slams Dem For Dropping An F-Bomb After Praising Trump For The Same Thing Just Minutes Earlier

Fox News host Emily Compagno was criticized after she praised Donald Trump's use of the "f-bomb" earlier this week before condemning Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett's use of the same word—on the same episode of her show, no less.

Trump made headlines this week after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Jennings; Emily Croke
@Jeopardy/Instagram

Champ's Wild Final Jeopardy Connection

In a dramatic conclusion on last Monday’s Jeopardy!, a contestant revealed a surprising relationship to the final clue's answer. Hailing from Denver, Emily Croke made it to the final write-in portion of the game show with $12,200 in earnings.

In the category of “Collections,” host Ken Jennings read the clue:

Keep ReadingShow less
State Department logo illustration
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

State Department Slammed After Requiring Visa Applicants To Make All Social Media Posts Public For Vetting

The State Department is facing harsh criticism after it announced that anyone applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa will need to disclose all social media profiles from the last five years, requiring that all applicants set their posts to public so they can be properly vetted by its agents.

The agency said the new rules are part of a new screening process aimed at identifying individuals who may pose a threat to U.S. national security. According to the department, failure to comply could result in a denial, and consular officers have been instructed to flag signs of “hostility” toward the U.S.—though the criteria for such determinations remain vague.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Tiny Chef Show being canceled
@thetinychefshow/TikTok

Heartbreaking Animated Video Announcing Emmy-Winning Show's Cancellation Has The Internet Sobbing

Whether or not you've heard of the show, Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show has been turning heads. Not only is it a show that children love, but it's an Emmy Award winner.

Despite all of this adorable, pea-sized chef's success, and a Minion-like voice to boot, the show appears to be canceled.

Keep ReadingShow less